Of Mischief and Magic by Shiloh Walker

Author:Shiloh Walker [Walker, Shiloh]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Shiloh Walker, Inc
Published: 2021-04-04T18:30:00+00:00

They entered through the sewage tunnels, the way lit by mage light Tyriel called forth.

Aryn had grown used to her small magics and appreciate the gentle glow as they descended into the earth through one of the access points. Once they were within, the mage light split into thirds, one settling at each person’s shoulder and never flickering.

The light also gave off enough to light the way but illuminated little else.

Aryn didn’t want to see anything else.

A sewer tunnel wasn’t his preferred route to…anywhere, even if this one had been out of use for years.

Small though the town was, it wasn’t so small the inhabitants hadn’t learned how to take advantage of their position on a hill, using the area’s natural terrain to develop a rather advanced sewer system, considering most families there had little personal wealth. Nearly every home and business in the town limits had access to the system, provided they paid their yearly allotment to maintain the system, dumping human waste and soiled liquids through a carefully covered hole that drained to those tunnels.

Those tunnels hadn’t been used on the eastern side of the city in some years because the families there didn’t have the resources to pay those allotments. When the money missed one season, perhaps there would be leniency. But two or three? Well, eventually, those charged with maintaining the tunnels would come in and seal up the grates.

Nobody in the Alley had made use of the tunnels in decades.

At least not proper use.

The air inside the narrow space was still fetid, although the heavy seasonal fall and winter rains had long since washed away most of the foulness.

As they drew closer, Tyriel’s senses whispered a warning and she found one of the narrow spots that were tall enough for a man to stand upright. For some distance, they’d all walked bent over and her back whispered thank you as she straightened. Jaren and Aryn met her eyes but said nothing as they waited.

“Can Irian protect you against most magic?” she asked. “He protected you against sorcery once before, but what about attacks from elemental mages? Enchantment?”

Aryn felt the soft rustle in his mind as Irian moved out of his ‘resting place’ and then the enchanter shimmered into view. “I am an enchanter, lady of the Jiupsu. A sorry one I would be if I could not protect him against the very magic I practice. But I would have to borrow his body and blood for a time.”

“A time?” Tyriel and Aryn asked in unison, doubtfully.

Jaren studied Irian with curious eyes, but said nothing.

Irian laughed, a deep, husky laugh that filled the tunnel and made both Aryn and Tyriel shiver. Jaren just continued to stare at the enchanter.

“A time, a few moments. Long enough to draw blood and raise wards,” he said, smiling slowly at Aryn’s obvious discomfort. “’Tis a sad day when I must beg permission to protect my ward, Aryn.”

Aryn asked grudgingly, “What must I do?”

Irian moved closer and Aryn felt the enchanter settle inside him, but not taking him over, more like he was sliding inside his skin with Aryn.

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